Anna Kalinskaya had an easy peasy day yesterday in taking two titles at the ITF International Hardcourts in College Park, Maryland. First up was a two set 6-2, 2-1 win in retirement against Romanian Elena Ruse. The tournament’s top seed, she followed up the singles win with a 6-3, 7-5 doubles title with teammate Evgeniya Levashova, besting the American team of Gabrielle Andrews and Mia Horvit.

Anna Kalinskaya (C) TennisEastCoast.com

After the match, Kalinskaya told me that the timing of the title was fortuitous. “It’s great, because I feel more confident now for the US Open.” She admitted it was a nice treat to have more energy for the doubles match to follow than she normally would.

Her opponent, Elena Ruse, who retired, was still in very good spirits and clutched a Wimbledon towel, a spoil of war from her semifinal run through the junior tournament this summer. Ruse, whose middle name is Gabriela, prefers to be known as Gabby.

“My leg was bad”, she explained. “In the second round, I felt something in my leg, put on some tape and everything was good. Today, I felt so bad. I hope I will be much better for US Open”.

And what about that Wimbledon towel?

“It was my second Grand Slam and I played amazing. I love grass courts and I hope I will be there next year”.

Does she hope to have a special US Open towel to remind her of a great run through New York? “Of course”, she said.

Reilly Opelka

Reilly Opelka, an unseeded American, posted an impressive 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4) comeback win over Tim Van Rijthoven to capture the boys title. Both players did a nice job of holding serve throughout. Opelka’s serve really bailed him out in the final two stanzas. I missed the end of the match, but I was impressed with the resolve of both players. Opelka reminds me a little of Sam Querrey or John Isner.

Let me give you some reminders about junior tournaments:

1) They hang towels anywhere they can: There’s no one to hand your towel to, so you hang it yourself: from a fence post, for example. But if you’re playing indoors, there is no fence. Then, you find something else. A door knob or a fire alarm will do.

2) The delays of chasing down running balls: They aren’t a bunch of time-wasters in the Juniors like they are in the pros. In fact, they often quick-pitch and sometimes opponents have to tell the player on the other side of the net to slow down. No commercial breaks and speedy changeovers means the matches move quickly. The balls are the one impediment to the smooth progress of the game. No ball kids means everyone is a ball-kid: fans, line judges, and even the Chair will occasionally hop down to kick a nearby ball in a server’s direction. Imagine that in a pro match.

Also, players who want to slow down the pace of a match can do just that depending on how passively they gather up the balls before service. A player about to return serve can also slow down the game depending on how quickly or not they return the ball from their side of the net. It’s a moment to catch your breath, if nothing else.

3) Keep your own score: Just like when you’re playing your buddy on the concrete courts behind the middle school. Like a broken clock, the flip scoreboard is only accurate once every two games when the players flip it on the changeover. We all take electronic scoreboards for granted until they’re gone. Or, you could always ask Colette Lewis of ZooTennis.com. She keeps a reporter’s note book up-to-date with score and stats.

3) The Fans: They’re aren’t too many of them at a match, and they are probably related to the player on court, so watch what you say. Yesterday was unusual in terms of light turnout. The stars of the host Junior Tennis Champions Center had been eliminated in the semis, and the torrential downpour moved the finals inside. And by inside, I mean you had to walk through four buildings to find the courts. I walked through two buildings full of tennis lessons in progress, each time saying thinking, ‘No, this can’t be it’. Finally, I walked into the last tennis barn on the property, saw Colette Lewis, and knew I had arrived!

It was a pleasure to watch Colette at work yesterday. There’s no one like her in the world of tennis, and everything I learned about junior tennis, I learned from her. She also has a very diligent assistant, when he’s not busy with other duties.

For me, this Saturday used to be about Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day in New York. After watching title-match tennis a short drive from home, this seemed like a much better way to spend the Saturday before the US Open instead.

No Sharing the Spotlight @CitiOpen Today For Jordi ArconadaStephan Fogleman, Tennis East Coast

The Washington Nationals sit in first place atop the National League East. The Washington Kastles go for their fourth consecutive title tomorrow night. Things are so good, DC Sports Fans might forget another show of athletic competition is going on around them this weekend. The Citi Open features 30 qualifying matches today and tomorrow, and admission won’t even set you back $20.

Among the likes of Gio Gonzalez, Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper and the retiring Bobby Reynolds, you can add one more name to DC Summer Sports Legend:

Jordi Arconada.

Strangely, Jordi Arconada becomes the biggest local name this weekend at Citi Open. Arconada came up short against his good friend and classmate, Francis Tiafoe, at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Maryland last month as part of the Citi Open Wild Card Challenge Final.

Today was supposed to be the day the much-heralded Tiafoe made his ATP debut as a qualifier. That’s what DC fans thought he’d earned by winning the Wild Card Challenge, until the BB&T Atlanta Open threw him a qualifying wild card (and threw a curveball to Citi Open/JTCC fans) last week. He promptly won his first match there, depriving DC fans of being able to say they were there to see it happen.

DC had to do one better, and I’m glad they did. They granted Tiafoe a main draw slot, setting up his historic first on Monday. The qualifying wild card Tiafoe had earned in defeating Arconada went to Arconada, as it should.

Another JTCC prodigy and Jordi’s sister, Usue Arconada, won her first WTA match here last year at Citi Open and was expected to play today. But she’s gone to tear it up in Austin.

That leaves Jordi Arconada as the Big Deal today. Often overshadowed by his sister, Usue, and BFF Francis, it is Jordi who will be lavished with support by area fans this weekend.

Sure, there’s the boisterous and sizable contingent of Virginia Cava-Cheerleaders who will bring the love for UVA’s Justin and Ryan Shane at their first ATP tour-level event appearance, but most eyes will be on Arconada.

For one, he’s 17. Every fan wants to say he saw a future star way back when. He’s also playing Michael Llodra, a 34-year-old Frenchman with 5 ATP titles, and get this….a 10-year old daughter.

Everyone loves the battle of the vet versus the kid. This is that battle.

And for once, a brother of a rising tennis star and best friend of another, he doesn’t have to share the spotlight.

US Fans, look just outside your back window to find the next great WTA stars.

Playing in her second career WTA final, Eugenie Bouchard captured her maiden singles title on Saturday thanks to a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Czech Karolina Pliskova at the WTA International Series event in Nurnberg, Germany.

Before the match, Bouchard was the highest ranked player behind only Sloane Stephens without a title and the 20-year-old Canadian was determined to change that stat. She need less than 30 minutes to win the first set 6-2, losing just four points on serve. Bouchard led 4-2 in the second set before Pliskova reeled off four straight games to force a decisive third set. There were five breaks of serve in the final frame with three going the way of Bouchard which allowed her to come away with the victory. She becomes the first Canadian to win a WTA singles titles since Aleksandra Wozniak, who was crowned champion in Stanford in 2008.

With the victory, Bouchard will reach a new career-high ranking on Monday. She will now travel to Roland-Garros where she will face Israel’s Shahar Peer in the first round.

Speaking of 20-year-old maiden champions, Monica Puig became the only Puerto Rican to win a women’s title, besting home court fave Silvia Soler-Espinosa of Spain, 6-4, 6-3 yesterday at the Strasbourg International final in France.

Puig dominated the match and is now 1-0 in WTA finals. Although Puerto Rico is US territory, Puig flies under the Boricuan flag and is intensely proud of her island heritage. Still, she’s every bit a North American as Genie Bouchard. She’ll come close to returning to her career-high ranking of #41 tommorow.

Yesterday, the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Maryland hosted its 15th annual Tennis Day to evaluate local children for summer camp scholarships at their USTA award-winning facility.

I’ve been to dozens of kids tennis events, but this one is so different. Kids are always sizing up adults, but the tables turn in this tennis fun house.

This is the time JTCC coaches take a look at the local crop of kids, some of whom might possess that obvious gift. It may be speed, coordination, strength or a combination thereof, but if they like what they see, the child is invited to the Center’s summer camp program at no cost to parents.

As I arrived, I was able to see my friend Zachary Pelts’ last few points vs. Mischa Zverev. Pelts is an unranked player with no match experience, no nothing. He works at an academy nearby and signed in on Friday to play. After the match, in which he lost 0-6, 0-6, but he was able to win 13 points (20% of the points), I was able to ask him a few questions.

Me: “Zach, how was it to play against a guy at this level?”

Pelts: “Hey thanks for coming out, man. Me, I was nervous as f***. Just call me Mr. Tight. I played like a 12-year-old girl in rural Mississippi out there.”

Me: “What would you say was the biggest difference between you and a player like him?”

Pelts: “Honestly, not that much. In the rallies, he really didn’t do anything with the ball. Ok, he had a very big serve, and I was very nervous, but the difference overall was not astronomical. I am even more motivated after this loss to continue to train and get better.”

Of course, to the crowd of spectators watching the match, who made comments like, “This guy is like Walter Mitty”, “He got his clock cleaned”, and “What’s he doing out there?” might disagree with his assessment. But then again, how easy is it to sit on the sidelines and pass judgement?

On another outside court, Wayne Odesnik was up to his usual antics. Yelling at the ballkids, getting into the opponent’s (Sekou Bangoura) grill, and when a spectator cheered for him, he turned and said “Shut up! I’m serving!” Very disrespectful from Odesnik as usual. He ended up winning over Bangoura, 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-4, and the handshake was very cold, to put it mildly.

In other qualifying, American Steve Johnson won over Sebatian Rivera by 6-3, 6-0, Sam Groth super served his way to a 7-5, 6-3 win over Ivan Endara, Rhyne Williams beat Pedro Sakamoto 6-2, 6-3, Bjorn Phau eased past Daniel Kerznerman 6-1, 6-4, Robby Ginepri began his climb back into the game with a 7-6(6), 6-3 very tight win over Ruben Bemelmans, and Gastao Elias scraped past Alexander Zverev 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.

But the match of the day was easily Andy Roddick vs. Goran Ivanisevic in the Champion’s Tour on the Main Stadium Court. It was a light hearted affair, replete with jokes, and Roddick prevailing 6-4, 6-3 in the end. After the warm up, Roddick said: “Whoo! That was a tough warmup! I’m spent already!” to audience laughter.

Early in the first set, Roddick was called for a foot fault. He turned to the lineswoman and said: “Foot fault? This is Senior’s Tennis! What’s next? Rabies shots for the Easter Bunny?”

At 0-2 in the first, a baby was crying in the crowd. Ivanisevic turned to the location of the baby and said: “No, no, don’t cry! It’s only 2-0!”

A few games later, Roddick threw down his biggest serve of the day, a 132 miles per hour ace. The crowd oohed and aahed, and Roddick turned to us and said: “I hope you enjoyed that, I won’t be able to lift my arm for a week!”

At 5-4 in the first, there was a promotion over the loudspeaker advertising donuts for whoever tweeted the tournament and won the drawing. There is a Dunkin’ Donuts literally within walking distance of the tournament. Roddick of course, at the changeover, grabs his phone and tweets the tournament! He wanted those donuts!

At the end of the first, the Volley Girls (group of girls in matching uniforms dancing) came out and did a dance to music. A provocative dance. After they finished and left the court, Goran jumped up from his chair and ran after them!

Early in the 2nd set, Ivanisevic was down 0-40. A big serve, and it is 15-40. Another ace and it is 30-40. Yet another big bomb and it is back to deuce. Roddick: “I hate when you do that!” Ivanisevic: “Yeah, look who is talking!”

At one point, Goran disagreed with the chair umpire about a shot, and during the argument, unlaced his shoe, sniffed it, made a disgusted face, and threw it.

Later in the 2nd, another crying baby. Well, Goran knows how to handle this. He gets a ball, gives it to the baby, and the baby stops crying! Lots of jocularity, lots of interacting with the crowd.

There were various smaller antics as well, such as over exaggerated grunting, usually from Ivanisevic, and cheeky points, like Goran hitting balls 30 rows into the stands and challenging the call anyway. It was all in good fun.

Late in the 2nd set, the donuts came out! Roddick and Ivanisevic both had themselves a donut. Then, Roddick did a series of impressions. First, Agassi and an extremely exaggerated pigeon-toed walk. Then, he did the impression of Goran Ivanisevic’s serve! “Yeah, yeah, very goooood,” Goran called out in response.

Then, Nadal. Rolls up the sleeves, runs to the baseline, starts jumping up and down, digs in his shorts, massive grunt, massive fist pump.

Then, McEnroe. Very exaggerated serve motion, and his serve was just out. Too bad someone in the crowd yelled out, “You cannot be serious” to which Andy replied: “Yeah, always someone who ruins the joke.”

Then, some guy called out for Roddick to do Sharapova. “Yeah, you’d like that, wouldn’t you? Freak.” The crowd was in stitches the entire time.

At 5-3, 40-15, with 2 match points for for Roddick in the 2nd, I couldn’t take it any longer and called out: “Goran, we love you anyway!” He turned to me and said: “Thank you I, love you too!”

After the match, Roddick was given something of a lifetime achievement award in addition to his Champion’s Tour trophy. A nice video montage was shown, with legends like Sampras, Agassi, and Connors saying positive things about Andy, who then gave a small speech. Ivanisevic walked into the locker room the long way and spent a good amount of time with autographs and pictures, delighting the crowd with a smile, as always. He will be coaching Cilic this week during the tournament. As for Roddick, he will be going back to his Fox Sports commentary work as well as Brooklyn Decker.

Well, that’s it from Delray for Sunday. Bye for now. Have a great night, and remember, the world is yours.

I’m hoping to do a similar interview with Alison today and ask the Pittsburgh native about her experiences with the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Maryland and her impressive run on the grass courts of England this summer.

Riske should be a crowd favorite and has already mentioned on twitter how thankful she is for the fan support that JTCC members have given her thus far.

The match is scheduled after the 2 p.m. third set conclusion of the ATP match postponed last night between James Duckworth and Kevin Anderson, with Anderson up 6-3, 3-6, 5-4. That should end quickly.

WTA Debut Success for Arconada, University of Virginia ATP Day @CitiOpen

Jarmere Jenkins

Qualifying play got underway without a hitch at the Citi Open yesterday, with only a late afternoon rain delay slowing down the proceedings.

On the men’s side, University of Virginia alumni and affiliates brought out a sizable crowd of support. Virginia Cavalier fans were treated to mixed results with Jarmere Jenkins and Somdev Devvarman winning in straight sets over Farukh Dustov and Jesse Witten. Virginia’s Mac Styslinger lost in three sets to Alex Kuznetsov, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, while Mitchell Frank was off-form in a rain-delayed straight sets loss to Malek Jaziri.

And yes, Donald Young let another match go in a predictable spiral. This time, it was Saketh Myneni to take advantage of a second set decline by Young, who seems to be a wonderful first set player. Young seemed to have the mental advantage until he was broken early in the second set. It was all slowly downhill from there for Young as Myneni prevailed 7-6(2), 6-3, 6-4.

Rhyne Williams, who won a first round main draw match against Denis Kudla on Monday night at the BB&T Atlanta Open, was forced to play a first round qualifying match against Robby Ginepri. Ginepri also played in the main draw at Atlanta this week. Williams had dinner with Ginepri on Friday night and looks up to the Georgia veteran of the tour. That didn’t stop Williams from grinding out Ginepri in three sets.

Christian Harrison

Christian Harrison continues to play beyond his young age after impressing in Atlanta earlier in the week. He survived the talented but lately unlucky Marinko Matosevic, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(7). With each match, the younger Harrison seems to become wiser and more focused.

Tim Smyczek recovered after a second set letdown to advance to a qualifying final and emerging victorious over Alexander Peya in three sets.

WTA Debutante Usue Arconada (Photo: S. Fogleman)

WTA play was overwhelmingly dominated by the WTA debut and first pro win of 14-year-old Argentinian-American Usue Arconada, who trains ten miles away in College Park, Maryland. Arconada hardly looked under pressure in a straight sets win over Maria Irigoyen of Argentina.

WTA play was also dominated by quick and dominating victories. Only one women’s match went the distance on Saturday, while the men went to three sets six times. Jennifer Elie won the most contested WTA match over Adriana Perez, 6-0, 4-6, 6-2.

Larcher de Brito

Top qualifying seed Michelle Larcher de Brito had little trouble with rising American Louisa Chirico, 7-5, 6-1, while American Victoria Duval was able to advance over fellow American Lena Litvak, 6-4, 7-5. Other easy winners included Shuko Aoyama and Alexandra Mueller.

The qualifying field will be looking for main draw entries in the final round on Sunday.

On Stadium Court, Matt Ebden and Saketh Myneni will open at 10 a.m., with Rhyne Williams vs. Samuel Groth. Next up will be Somdev Devvarman against Christian Harrison, with Alex Kuznetsov and Malek Jaziri to finish.

On Grandstand 1, Jesse Levine and Yuichi Sugita will kick things off followed by Michelle Larcher de Brito matching up against young American Victoria Duval and Tim Smyczek taking on UVA’s Jarmere Jenkins.